House of Ninjas
House of Ninjas follows the Tawaras, a family of ninjas – the last family of ninjas in present-day Japan – trying to live a normal life, having hung up their arms six years ago after a mission went awry. However, living incognito is (ironically) difficult for the Tawaras, and when a series of grisly murders take place across Japan, the family is once again drawn into the shadowy world of the ninja.
Surprisingly for a drama about ninjas, the series has a relatively slow and subdued pace, thoroughly exploring each member of the Tawara clan and giving their character arcs – as well as the complex inter-character dynamics – plenty of room to breathe. This approach allows the show to examine several compelling themes (such as family, tradition and legacy) without overcrowding the story, as well as give the audience chance to more deeply immerse themselves in House of Ninja’s setting and connect emotionally with its cast.
House of Ninjas’ intelligent structuring also enables it to marry several different tones and borrow from different storytelling playbooks. The programme is equal parts romance, family drama, violent thriller and physical comedy, and it effortlessly switches between genres and conventions without missing a beat, making for a constantly engaging narrative space.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a show about shinobi without some fight scenes, and when House of Ninjas does pick up the pace for more intense scenes, it boasts some spectacular choreography and lighting to punch up the visuals of its fights. If there’s anything to knock these scenes for, it’s that sometimes they’re a little too dark to make out what’s going on, but for the most part, they’re lit well with strong palettes.
Overall, House of Ninjas is a lot of fun. It’s an ambitious piece, with a lot of different themes, visuals and character arcs that it’s able to juggle flawlessly, committing wholeheartedly to every distinct part of its narrative identity with heaps of flair and passion. Equal parts corny, emotional and grim, it’s a testament to the strength of its writing, editing and the emotive range of its talented cast that these disparate tones can coexist despite their differences – much like the titular house of ninjas.
Umar Ali
House of Ninjas is released on Netflix on 15th February 2024.
Watch the trailer for House of Ninjas here:
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